Prices per unit to be printed on pre-packaged goods now

Manufacturers will now need to indicate per unit sale price - for instance, cost per kg or per litre - on pre-packed commodities that will allow easier comparison of the prices at the time of purchase for the consumer.

This is being done to safeguard the interest of consumers, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

The Ministry has decided to omit Rule 5 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011 defining the Schedule II prescribing the pack sizes of various types of commodities.

Earlier, the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured or pre-packed or imported was required to be mentioned in the package.

But now, removing the ambiguity, the declaration will be required for the month and year in which the commodity is manufactured for the pre-packed commodities, a Ministry release said.

The provisions of declarations of MRP too, has been simplified by removing illustration and providing for making the mandatory declaration of MRP in Indian currency, inclusive of all taxes.

This has allowed the manufacturer/packer/importer to declare the MRP on the pre-packed commodities in a simplified manner, it said.

Another change is about rules for declaring the commodities sold in pre-packed commodities in numbers. This has been eased out for reducing the compliance burden for manufacturer/importer/packer, the government said.

As against earlier such declarations wherein it could be denoted as 'N' or 'U' only, the quantities now can be expressed in terms of the number or unit or piece or pair or set or such other word, which represents the quantity in the package. This will remove the ambiguity of declaration of quantity sold by number in pre-packed commodities, the release added.